Self Love: The Path to True Love

A couple weeks ago, I was in Vancouver visiting my pal and fellow Positively Positive contributor Danielle LaPorte. She was helping me, as she often does, with message clarity and ideas to grow my online presence (having a private practice is easy breezy compared to developing products and blogs and learning the ins and outs of social media!). She said, “You know, Ter, you’re message is all about love. It’s who you are, how you live, and what you teach. Get people to bring it back to their heart center.”

Inspired by her words of wisdom, I thought it would be nice every week for the next four weeks for us to discuss a different category of love. Each will be brief, and my hope is that the comment section is where the majority of the discussion will happen. I want to hear your triumphs and tribulations and share the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Let’s kick off our month of L*O*V*E* with self-love. You need to start with some introspection to gain a deeper understanding of your level of self-love. This is the foundation for all other love. Many people seek from others the self-love they lack in themselves. Self-love is an inside job, and it is an illusion to think another can fill this void for you.

Are you looking for love? Maybe you’re partnered but looking for more satisfying love?

If so, let me share a truth I know for sure: Self Love Is the Path to True Love.

I want you to carve out some time over the next couple of days to think about how much you love yourself and how you treat yourself. Pay attention when you talk about yourself both to others and internally. Are you positive or negative? Are you constantly putting yourself down or are you kind and gentle?

Who you draw into your life and how they treat you is influenced by how you treat and regard yourself. If you are your own worst critic or feel unworthy, you will inevitably draw people into your life who agree with your self-assessment. At the other end of the spectrum, if you treat yourself with respect, love, and high regard, others will to.

People look to you to set the example of what you believe is acceptable behavior.

Remember: you reap what you sow!

Along with being mindful of how you talk about yourself, I want to give you a 7-Day Self-Love Challenge: every day, do something super sweet for yourself. Treat yourself with the same kindness you would a small child whom you adore. What will you do? Tell us!

I hope you have an amazing week, diving into your self-love challenge, and, as always, take care of you.

Love Love Love

Terri

Last week, I wrote to all of you about my sister’s battle with liver cancer. Your responses were so touching; my whole family, especially Tammi, is beyond grateful for your words, thoughts, prayers, and donations. To learn more and to send a cyber-hug, please head to Tammi’s Liver Club (TLC) website. In only one week, we raised 10% of our goal. Wooo Hooo!!!

Terri Cole, founder and CEO of Live Fearless and Free, is a licensed psychotherapist, transformation coach, and an expert at turning fear into freedom.A cornerstone of Terri’s practice, meditation, was the impetus for her recently released guided mediation CD “Meditation Transformation.” In Fall 2012, she will begin hosting a Hay House radio show, giving listeners who are swimming upstream easy tools to flip over and float. Terri can be found on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.